BMW readies CLS rival for production?
New Concept Gran Coupe previewed in China confirms Munich's new styling direction – and a possible future modelBMW has fronted up at the Auto China 2010 motor show in Beijing to unveil this striking four-door "coupe" to the world's press.
Named the Concept Gran Coupe, the design study appears to take the prestige manufacturer further away from the radical look introduced by former head of styling, Chris Bangle. Instead, the Gran Coupe adopts a more harmonious style that compares with that of the Mercedes-Benz CLS.
The Concept Gran Coupe is not BMW's first attempt at developing a competitor for the hardtop Benz. Three years ago, the company introduced the 7 Series-based BMW Concept CS at the 2007 Shanghai Motor Show. Further development of that car was put on hold indefinitely as BMW stared down the barrel of the Global Financial Crisis, but, based on the new car, the Bavarian prestige manufacturer appears to be making up for lost time.
For the present, BMW is admitting very little about the concept car; a press statement concerning the Concept Gran Coupe describes the car in flowery phrases that convey little in the way of hard details: "The surface structures and the fact that the design quality is geared towards perfection illustrate the aspiration of the brand BMW to build four-door high-performance coupes with the sportiest proportions and the most elegant design."
Yet while the press release reads like Google has played a part in the translation from the Deutsch, it's clear from the pictures that the BMW is indisputably a good looking car; one that would turn the heads of buyers considering the aforementioned Benz or Porsche's Panamera.
According to the press release, the Concept Gran Coupe is almost five metres long (somewhere between a current Five Series and a Seven Series), yet sits 100mm lower than either. Unlike the 5 Series Gran Turismo hatchback, the Gran Coupe is definitely a sedan. And one that looks ready to enter production, unlike the Concept CS. Even the wheels look showroom-ready, rather than looking conceptual. A production version could be expected to offer at least some, if not all, the drivetrain options available for the 5 Series and the Gran Turismo.
Concept or reality? We'd suggest the latter.
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